III. FAQs (VCs)
- What are Verifiable Credentials (VCs)? Verifiable Credentials are digital attestations issued by an entity (issuer) about a subject (individual, organization, or device) that can be cryptographically verified. They serve to digitally express various claims, such as educational qualifications or identity attributes, in a secure and privacy-enhancing manner.
- What is the VC Data Model? The Verifiable Credentials Data Model defined by the W3C outlines the structure and semantics of VCs. It includes essential components such as Credential, Issuer, Subject, Claim, and Proof, providing a standardized format for creating and using VCs.
- How are VCs formatted? VCs are commonly expressed in JSON-LD (JSON for Linked Data), which offers a structured and interoperable way to represent credentials, enabling them to be easily shared, validated, and linked to other data sources.
- What is the typical structure of a Verifiable Credential? A typical VC consists of elements such as Context, Type, Issuer, Subject, Claim, and Proof. These elements define the terms used, the type of credential, details of the issuer and subject, the claim made, and cryptographic proofs for validation.
- How is a Verifiable Credential created and verified? Creating a VC involves the creation of the issuer, assembly of the credential, signing by the issuer, and presentation to a verifier. Verification includes checking the credential’s integrity and authenticity by verifying digital signatures or other proofs.
- How does privacy preservation work with VCs? VCs allow subjects to control what information they share, enabling selective disclosure of claims. This minimizes the risk of identity breaches and enhances privacy.
- What ensures trust and security in VCs? Cryptographic signatures and proofs associated with VCs ensure their reliability. Digital signatures from issuers confirm authenticity, while techniques like Zero-Knowledge Proofs can validate claims without revealing underlying data.
- Why is interoperability important in VCs? Interoperability in VCs allows for seamless exchange across different systems and services, facilitating the verification of claims across various domains and applications.
- What is selective disclosure in Verifiable Credentials? Selective disclosure enables holders to share specific parts of a verifiable credential without exposing all the information. It is implemented through methods like atomic credentials, selective disclosure signatures, and hashed values, ensuring that only relevant information is disclosed to the verifier.
- How does Extrimian use Verifiable Credentials in its products? Extrimian incorporates VCs into its product suite to provide secure and efficient digital credential management and sharing, leveraging VCs to validate the credibility and integrity of digital credentials.